From ?The Last Dance? to ?Shaq?s HBO TV Series: Do Biopics and Documentaries Really Convey the Full Truth?

In recent years, the sports world has seen an influx of biopics and documentaries celebrating the lives and careers of legendary athletes. Amongst them has been Michael Jordan‘s very popular Netflix documentary ?The Last Dance?. An HBO docuseries about Shaquille O?Neal was also released not so long ago, serving as a treat for fans of the Big Aristotle. These documentaries and biopics help to enlighten viewers about the entity in focus. However, many people have raised the query over the years that these non-fictional works of art may not be as truthful as they are thought to be.

Claims have been made about hiding specific areas of truth. Theories have been raised that narratives are specifically designed to captivate and entertain audiences and not come out as too ?uninteresting?. Taking the above point into consideration, the following article will focus on whether documentaries like ?The Last Dance? and Shaq?s biopic series really convey the full truth.

The Last Dance didn’t give as much attention to the teammates of Michael Jordan

‘The Last Dance‘ chronicles the journey of NBA legend Michael Jordan during his final season with the Chicago Bulls. Watching a documentary about possibly the last iconic season of the Bulls would have been an enthralling opportunity for any NBA fan and enthusiast out there. To see the Bulls GOAT himself provide his perspective of that era, alongside a few of his teammates and rivals, definitely induced a feeling of nostalgia amongst various viewers. With its skilfully interwoven archival footage, interviews, and a narrative that was nothing short of mesmerizing, the documentary almost sounded too perfect. Unfortunately, in the end, that?s what it turned out to be.

Barely a few days had passed after ?The Last Dance? had been released on Netflix when people started speaking out. While the documentary was met with almost universal praise for its storytelling process, questions were raised about the extent to which it presented an unbiased account of events. According to 4x NBA champion and former Bulls player Horace Grant, ?The Last Dance? was heavily edited to portray Jordan in a positive light. While he claimed that the documentary series was ?entertaining?, he also claimed that ?about 90% of it [was] BS in terms of the realness of it.”

Grant was not Jordan?s only former teammate who had a problem with how the series turned out to be. Widely believed to be Jordan?s second in command during the golden era of the Bulls, one of the most prominent criticisms that stood out from the crowd was that of Scottie Pippen. He held the opinion that ?The Last Dance? placed Jordan on a special pedestal and did not give as much attention to the contributions he and the rest of his teammates made during that pivotal season. Pippen reiterated his claim in his 2021 memoir ?Unguarded?.

?[T]hey glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates,? Pippen wrote. ?Michael deserved a large portion of the blame.?

When viewing the documentary, the author had a mixed opinion about how much truth was conveyed. Viewers might have seen that ?The Last Dance? was not trying to hide all of Jordan?s bad qualities. From the Bulls star being rude to his teammates to indulging in gambling and missing some important games, it clearly portrayed and highlighted some of the most negative habits that are associated with Jordan. Since Jordan?s production company was involved with ?The Last Dance?, there was a theory that His Airness allegedly had the last word on what was going to be put out there. In light of this theory, one can say that it is a good thing that Jordan did not go out to remove all bad things from the series. However, it still does not mean that every truth was conveyed.

The author will also have to side with the opinion that, in order to convey the full truth, more time should have been spent on Jordan?s teammates. The championship victory was a team effort, and it should be treated as such. Instead of spending a considerable amount of time on the ?David Stern suspended MJ? conspiracy theory, the documentary could have either devoted entire episodes to specific players or further explored the team?s role in uplifting Michael Jordan to legendary status.

Shaquille O’Neal?s TV Series didn’t challenge the player to explore deeper

Barely two years had passed since the release of ?The Last Dance? when NBA fans were blessed with another docuseries. Highlighting Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O?Neal, the four-episode series titled ‘SHAQ’ was released on HBO Max. It detailed the Big Aristotle?s memorable journey through the NBA, from his tenure with the Orlando Magic to his triumphant years with the Lakers, the series helped to remind viewers of the epic moments that led Shaq to become Shaq.

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Along with his basketball triumphs, the documentary also touched upon some aspects of Shaq?s personal life. There was a commendable fact within this. The series did not shy away from highlighting the few ugly issues that the former NBA star faced. His unpleasant feud with the late Kobe Bryant and his allegedly unfriendly relationship with his father was highlighted. The problems he faced with his own children came up during an episode. The series touched on some truths even if there wasn?t a need for them. It is also true, however, that the documentary could have dived deeper into exploring these issues. Instead, all the viewers got was a light touch.

The author developed the impression that ?SHAQ? may have aimed to provide an honest look at all the aspects discussed. However, it still came out as only one person?s version of the truth: Shaq himself. Shaq chose not to divulge much regarding what led to the end of his tenure with the Orlando Magic, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Miami Heat. This occurred despite the documentary being about the important aspects of his NBA career.

The Final Review

The Michael Jordan and Shaquille O?Neal Documentaries help viewers understand that, sometimes, it is not possible to convey the whole truth. Criticisms are bound to arise over a particular fact or incident being not explored thoroughly or even getting edited out in the process. However, all this should not diminish the overall impact that a documentary creates. They should not ignore the valuable insights that these series show in order to create a comprehensive portrayal of a monumental figure and his era in NBA history.

Therefore, as a viewer, it is probably best to assume that these documentaries do not provide the full truth but an amalgamation of truth and entertainment. That way, viewers wouldn?t be too disappointed and would still get the chance to learn more about the player whom they so admire.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.

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